Atlanta, Georgia
Downtown AtlantaThe capital city of the Peach State is teeming with historic landmarks, yet is thoroughly modern. Atlanta is considered the Capital of the New South due to the rapid growth and development of the city in the past decades. With 25 DaVita® dialysis centers around town, make plans to visit this fascinating city.
Historically, Atlanta was an important city during the Civil War. The invasion of the city by the Union army in 1864 was immortalized in the 1939 film classic Gone with the Wind, which was adapted from Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer-prize winning novel. The home where she wrote her American masterpiece is now The Margaret Mitchell House (404-814-4110), featuring props and photographs from the movie’s premiere in Atlanta.
Nearly a century after the Civil War, the city was at the forefront of the Civil Rights movement. Atlanta was the birthplace of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. His boyhood home in the Sweet Auburn district, along with the nearby Ebenezer Baptist Church, where both he and his father were pastors, is included in the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Historic Site (404-331-6922). Atlanta also is home to The King Center (404-526-8900), founded by Coretta Scott King in 1968 to promote her husband’s teachings and advance his legacy.
Atlanta is sometimes referred to as “Hotlanta” due to the humid, subtropical climate in the summer. Winter can bring frost and about 2 inches of snow. Atlanta sits about 1,000 feet above sea level and rests on a ridge south of the Chattahoochee River. Peachtree Street is a major north-south thoroughfare. More than a century ago, it was already a bustling main street with street cars, pedestrians and automobiles.
Atlanta attractions
Billed as the world’s largest aquarium with 8 million gallons of fresh and salt water, the Georgia Aquarium (404-581-4000) houses 100,000 marine animals, representing 500 species from around the globe. It also features a 4-D theater and Planet Shark.
Founded in 1905 and is considered the leading art museum in the Southeastern U.S., the High Museum of Art (404-733-4444) is located in Atlanta’s Midtown arts and business district. More than 11,000 works reside in its permanent collection.
Take a tour inside the CNN studios (404-827-2300) and see where the news is broadcast to a billion people worldwide. A guide will fill you in on the history of the network and give you a behind-the-scenes look at the state-of-the-art control room theater, interactive exhibit area, special effects demonstrations and more.
Visit the Georgia Dome (404-223-4636), home of the Atlanta Falcons, and watch them play other NFL teams during football season. The Georgia Dome hosted Super Bowls XXVII in 1994 and XXXIV in 2000. Built in 1992, it is the largest cable-supported dome stadium in the world. The Dome features a basketball court and hosts concerts and other events.
The NBA’s Atlanta Hawks and WNBA’s Atlanta Dream call Philips Arena (404- 878-3000) home during basketball season. The NHL’s Atlanta Thrashers also play hockey there. When a team isn’t using the arena, special events, including wrestling and concerts, fill the venue with excitement.
Join over 50,000 fans in the “Home of the Braves,” Turner Field (800-653-8000), and cheer the Atlanta Braves on to victory during baseball season. You can tour the stadium, which was completed in 1997 and is located on Hank Aaron Drive, and learn the history of the team and its past venues.
Depending on your interest and energy level, there is a range of guided and self-guided tours to choose from at the Atlantic Botanical Garden (404-876-5859), including the Children’s Garden and a variety of family fun activities. The garden features sculptures, water features, plant collections, exhibits and events.
Head to Peachtree and Lower Alabama Streets and you’ll find Underground Atlanta (404-523-2311). Historic relics and architecture still exist, lending charm to this modern entertainment mecca of shops, restaurants and nightclubs located in the downtown viaducts.
The stately domed Georgia State Capitol (404-463-4536) is the center of Georgia’s state government and is open to the public. Visitors are welcome to take a guided tour.
The historic Fox Theatre (404-881-2100) was designed to represent the excesses and extravagances of the pre-crash 1920s. Originally built as the Yaarab Temple Shrine Mosque, the Shriners offset cost overruns by working a deal with movie-mogul William Fox to make this location his Southeast movie palace. Picturesque minarets and onion domes on the outside housed an indoor Arabian courtyard with a simulated night sky featuring twinkling stars, floating clouds and an exquisite collection of ornate furnishings. After a cycle of bankruptcies, prosperity and tough times, the opulence of the theatre has been restored and it now offers tours, movies and concerts. During certain events, “Mighty Mo,” the Fox’s famed pipe organ, is played.
More than 2.5 million visitors a year walk the grounds of Piedmont Park (404-875-7275). The Battle of Peachtree Creek occurred at this site in the mid-1800s. Now you’ll find a host of activities, including fishing, picnicking, walking and jogging paths, swimming, and tennis. There are also playgrounds and dog parks. Community activities include historic walking tours of the park, bird walks, and a green market featuring Georgia produce.
At World of Coca-Cola (1-800-676-COKE), learn about the history of the world-famous beverage that was first served in an Atlanta drugstore and is now served more than a billion times a day worldwide. You’ll revisit many memorable Coca-Cola advertisements and memorabilia made famous throughout the years.
Billed as the longest running show in the country, the Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum (404-658-7625) has since 1893 been home to the historic Civil War locomotive, “Texas,” hero of the Great Locomotive Chase of 1862. Through spectacular music, art and sound effects, history comes alive as you step back to July 22, 1864 and become part of the battle. Also featured is the world’s largest painting, The Battle of Atlanta.
In 1990, the Historical Society became known as the Atlanta History Center (404-814-4000). Located on 33 acres in the heart of the Buckhead district, it includes historic houses illustrating over a century of Atlanta’s history, a series of unique gardens and a research facility.
The APEX Museum (404-523-APEX) was founded to accurately interpret and present history from an African-American perspective. The exhibitions include artwork, photographs, videos, history and events highlighting the achievements of African-Americans. The museum’s slogan is: Where Every Month is Black History Month®.
Summary
A city with such a rich history and so much to see requires creating an itinerary ahead of time to make sure you visit everything on your list. You’ll want to make sure you plan activities around your dialysis schedule, depending on how you usually feel after treatments. Whether you want to spend time sightseeing or cheering on the Atlanta Braves, there’s enough to do in Atlanta to keep you busy.
